Aquaponic Gardening

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Does anyone know of any potential problems with cast-iron in an aquaponic system? I am planning on running part of my water from the sump to some heat tolerant PVC and then through a stainless steel coil on top of my wood stove  the elbows would be the only parts that are cast iron and then back to the main fish tank.

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Hi Shelia.  First, can you say why the elbows can't be stainless steel along with the coils thus eliminating the need for cast iron? Generally speaking, cast iron pipe and fittings is/are widely still used in fish hatcheries and most aquaculture systems that don't recirculate the water stream continuously. And Normally cast iron wouldn't be considered toxic to the fish or plants. But with the recycling of old building materials, there are some instances where recycled cast iron may contain some, lead,  copper, zinc, and galvanized materials.

So, I think I would go stainless if possible. OR know for certain that the cast iron is plain carbon steel with no toxic filler.

The look of today's "pot metal" and or galvanized fittings can be mistaken for cast steel too. So beware.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Glen,

   We were just trying to use the material we have on hand- my husband worked in the sprinkler industry and has some older cast-iron fittings  with 150 psi. If I order the stainless steel I am not sure it will be here before the temps drop to 9 degrees...

  I know I should not have procrastinated - I was not planning on heating the green house because someone gave me manure that had been sprayed with grazon and it killed all my tomato plants and I had to throw out ten pepper plants which had 40- 50 peppers on them and not counting the jalapeno pepper plants. I had to take my dirt out down to the hard pan and bring in new dirt.... So needless to say I was discouraged and planned to throw in the towel for the rest of the fall season but then I felt the call of playing in the dirt; ;-) I love growing things and I realized I would have to recycle my system if I let the water drop to 40 degrees so.

  so far my water temps with get up to 73-76 degrees daily and they drop in the 60's at night and heat the green house. I have only heated the greenhouse a few times with wood. I have put glass over my in ground pond and the ibc tote to passively collect solar heat. we have had temps in the low twenties and upper teens for a couple of weeks on and  off, but I may loose my tilapia if I do not heat the water when it drops to 9 degrees...

 Thanks for responding.

 

Well then, I seriously doubt that any real harm can come from using the cast iron fittings you have on hand temporarily until stainless and/or better weather arrives. You're very welcome, and good luck. 

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